


A Lesson...Of Sorts

by local_enginerd



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), Pharmercy (Overwatch)
Genre: F/F, jk they cant get enough of each other, she said see you l8tr grrl, she was a sk8ter grrl, yes its another installment of a Rady AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 23:51:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11196069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/local_enginerd/pseuds/local_enginerd
Summary: Sometimes you fall on the ice. In more ways than one. Especially when world-famous figure skater Fareeha Amari's teaching Angela Ziegler, a hockey player, how to figure skate.Aka, another installment of that Skating AU.





	A Lesson...Of Sorts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Radycat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radycat/gifts).



> Another lil thing I wrote for Radycat's ice hockey AU. I don't skate at all so...

Angela Ziegler gazed over the expanse of ice before her, a queen surveying her kingdom. Had she been here for a hockey game, she would have felt at ease. Being the captain of the Thunderbirds meant that skating was second nature; the rink was her home away from home. 

Yet, the thought of going on the ice filled the blonde with dread. Squinting against the spotlights, Angela took a deep breath, the cold air biting at her lungs.

_ Really? Why couldn’t you have asked for a coffee date like a normal human being? What if you do something stupid and fall on your face?  _

It was unlike her to be caught outside of her element. But, before she could worry any more, Angela was interrupted by the arrival of her girlfriend.  It still felt surreal. World-famous figure skater Fareeha Amari was her  _ girlfriend _ . 

The weeks since they last met passed in a blur of Skype calls and text messages. Their careers kept them apart; Angela was at the helm as the Thunderbirds soared through their playoff games and Fareeha was training for the Grand Prix, but they spent every second they could together.

Fareeha shakes the rain off her jacket as she steps into the rink, the door closing quietly behind her. More accustomed to the cold, Angela had already shed her jacket and gloves. She greets the Egyptian with a kiss on the cheek as the taller woman wraps an arm around her.

“I’ve missed you so much,  _ schatz _ .” Angela murmurs into the crook of Fareeha’s neck.

“And I, you,” comes the Egyptian’s reply.

Their schedules had just aligned so the two were in the same city for a weekend. Angela was in town for another playoff game. Fareeha was visiting her father.

“You ready, Angela?”

A sigh. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Her voice echoes in the rink, empty save for the two of them. The soft pitter patter of rain leaves droplets of water that collect on the arching glass ceiling. In another moment, they will trail down the curvature of the building in rivulets.

“Before we get warmed up, I’m going to assume you know how to fall, right?” Fareeha grins down at Angela, earning her a sharp jab to the ribs. 

Angela huffs, “What makes you so certain I’ll fall? After all, I do know how to skate,  _ liebling _ .” 

Her breath condenses in the cold air, leaving behind a fleeting cloud. Angela watches it swirl for a moment. As it dissipates, the blonde turns her attention back to her girlfriend.

“Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Fareeha shrugs, not even making an effort to hide her mirth. Angela, in turn, glares daggers at her.

Fareeha slips off her gloves, crouching behind the boards to lace up her own skates.

_ Figure skating can’t be that terrible, right? _

* * *

The duo laugh as they circle the ice, warming up before the lesson.

“You’re definitely moving,” Fareeha points out idly. “But your form’s all off; you still skate like a hockey player.”

Angela pouts, putting on the brakes as she swivels around to face Fareeha, an eyebrow raised accusingly.

Certainly, stopping and turning on a dime is something the blonde has done hundreds of times; it wasn’t uncommon to do so when weaving between the opposing team’s defense. The last thing Angela expected was for her to lurch forwards, falling unceremoniously with her skates making a high pitched scrape. 

Right into the Egyptian’s strong arms.

Fareeha, with all her quick reflexes, manages to catch Angela until she gains her bearings. The blonde, on the other hand, sinks into the warm embrace. As she regains her bearings, Angela thinks idly about how much more comfortable it would be to stay in Fareeha’s arms instead of skating at the crack of dawn.

“Uh, Angela?” The Egyptian clears her throat teasingly. “You okay down there?”

“ _ Gottverdammt _ , the ice picks,” Angela meets her gaze, eyes as blue as the morning sky overhead. She untangles herself from Fareeha’s hold. “I’m never going to get used to those.”

Unfazed, Fareeha raises her hands in mock surrender, lest she face the wrath of _ Captain Ziegler _ .

“It happens to everyone,” she says reassuringly. “The picks trip up even the most experienced of skaters.”

Fareeha smiles warmly at Angela and, for a moment, the blonde fears she may melt right through the rink. Maybe this wasn’t so bad, after all.

“Anyways, back to your form. You’re leaning too far forwards,” The Egyptian lets out a chuckle, sliding her hands onto Angela’s hips to correct her posture. “You’ve got your shoulders squared right over your leading foot.”

The blonde stiffens, turning beet red. She feels the heat rise to her cheeks, pulse pounding in her ears.

While Angela’s technique was perfect for hockey, she was unaccustomed to figure skating and her center of gravity wasn’t stabilized over her base of support. Had she tried to perform a jump or spin, Angela would’ve had a swift appointment with the ice.

_ Alright, be cool. Don’t fall on your face again. It’s just Fareeha. _

“Angela, is this alright?” Fareeha, astute as ever, picks up on this immediately. She moves to withdraw her hands. “I didn’t mean to impose.”

The rest of the first lesson passes without incident. Fareeha coaches Angela into the correct posture and some basic motions, but it is clear the hockey player is still far more at home chasing after a puck.

* * *

 

As with any other endeavor, Angela throws herself into learning to figure skate with an unrelenting passion.  

After hours of drills with the Thunderbirds, she’d stay at the rink alone, practicing everything Fareeha’s taught her. It’s months before their next lesson, but the blonde refused to be caught off guard. Before long, Angela is able to execute the same moves. Sure, she wasn’t near as graceful as her girlfriend, but it was getting impressively close.

It was time to turn the tables on Fareeha and boy, did Angela have a trick up her sleeve.

The warm ups progress as usual. Fareeha compliments Angela’s form, which has markedly improved since they last met. The blonde basks in every bit of praise.

The wind whips between them; it feels like they’re soaring, just the two of them, miles above the ground. Fareeha has her eyes trained on her girlfriend, watching the way Angela’s blond hair flows behind her, almost like a halo. 

As they discover their rhythm together, Fareeha begins teaching the hockey player parts of her routine. The duo flow through a few turns and a small jump, the Egyptian hesitant to try more advanced moves with Angela. Unbeknownst to Fareeha, Angela had taken the liberty of learning them on her own. 

Overhead, the inky blackness of the night sky is punctuated by the dance of the  _ aurora borealis _ , casting an ethereal glow on the ice. The rink is silent, save for the gentle grind of their skates, Fareeha’s stroke almost inaudible. It feels like a dream come true.

Suddenly, Angela stumbles, breaking off from the lesson. The lopsided grin disappears from the taller woman’s face, replaced by wide-eyed concern.  “Is something wrong,  _ habibi  _ ?”

Yet, Angela seems fully in control, her blue eyes flashing with determination. Just like when she’s lined up for a shot at the goal.

_ Trust me _ , Angela mouths back.

The hockey player takes a deep breath before soaring into a turn that sweeps into a jump, then a spin, and before they know it, Angela is flowing through Fareeha’s program - the same one she performed in the Grand Prix a week ago.

And, with all the grace of a newborn giraffe, Fareeha Amari skates into the boards, turning beet red as soon as she realized what Angela was doing.

“You’ve been practicing,” she stares dumbly at Angela, who extends a hand to help the Egyptian up. Brow furrowed, Fareeha pulls herself off the ice, still gaping at her girlfriend. “For how long? You’ve really improved.”

“Why don’t you come and find out?” Without breaking stride, Angela winks. She turns, leaving Fareeha in the dust. “I’ve got some moves I’m sure you’ll like.”

The figure skater closes her mouth, collecting her thoughts. But before Fareeha can respond, a voice echoes through the rink: “Oi, get a room, lovebirds!” 

Apparently, the two weren’t as alone as they thought. Fareeha turns even more red when Lena walks up to the boards, grinning like a Cheshire cat. 

“Looks like you owe me twenty, Ang.” The Brit stretches her palm towards the blonde.

“Fine.” Angela huffs, her breath condensing. She scowls at Lena, but obliges anyway, handing over the sum before skating out into the middle of the rink.

Fareeha glances between the two conspirators, waiting silently for the explanation. She ultimately turns her glare onto Lena, hoping the brunette will divulge her secret.

“Aw, don’t worry, luv!” Lena grins, clapping Fareeha on the shoulder. “It’s nothing serious, I just bet that she’d knock your socks off without falling on her arse.”

“Well, consider them knocked clean off,” The Egyptian chuckles in return, skating after the blonde. “She really is something, isn’t she?”


End file.
